Jayasuriya vs Afridi?

we all know Jayasuriya is a much better batsmen. but who would you have on the team just as a pinch hitter? jayasuriya is more reliable but afridi is more destructive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4h-cmqEXMw

Its arguable that Jayasuriya can sometimes be a better ODI bowler when conditions suit, but you'd back Afridi almost every other time.

With the bat its Sanath no question in both forms, and Sanath wasn't even that crash hot in tests anyway.

EDIT: Whoops didn't even read the first post, guilty as charged.

Afridi is a better pinch hitter IMO. I Reckon when he stands still and hits through the line, he's more likely to get you the quickfire 30 off 15 needed than even Sanath.

One thing about Sanath, he would play the best flick off his pads for six in the game. Looked so simple when he did it, and then I'd go in a practice match attempting to do something similar and give mid wicket a dolly catch every time

Last edited by Jono; 05-04-2008 at 10:55 AM.

"I am very happy and it will allow me to have lot more rice."

Eoin Morgan on being given a rice cooker for being Man of the Match in a Dhaka Premier Division game.

we all know Jayasuriya is a much better batsmen. but who would you have on the team just as a pinch hitter? jayasuriya is more reliable but afridi is more destructive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4h-cmqEXMw

Afridi is certainly the greater pinch-hitter, in terms of ability to score runs quickly. That being said, since Jayasuriya's strike rate is not much lower, I'd take him.

As a Test/ODI batsman, I'd not hesistate to pick Jayasuriya, obviously.

As a bowler, though, Afridi seems more attractive to me. Jayasuriya is a clever bowler, varying his pace and darting it into leg-stump, but Afridi has so much more variation - a legbreak, a googly, a topspinner, an offbreak, an awesome quicker ball - he can also get a little bit of drift if he bowls slowly enough (he generally doesn't; I've never seen him bowl <90 km/h). I think Afridi's ODI bowling stats are as poor as they are because he was utterly unpenetrative during the early stages of his career.

70 off 60 is not exactly astronomical, a good innings yes, but I wouldn't call it a 'pinch-hitter' innings. Examples of a pinch-hitter innings would be Jayasuriya's 76 off 28 balls, Afridi's 37 (IIRC) ball century, his 29 off 9 balls in a T20I against England etc.

Easy decision here, Sanath. IMO, Afridi had the potential to become a very good cricketer since his debut a decade ago, but hes wasted his talent by failing to expand his game beyond looking for the big slog shot. Jayasuriya, when required, showed patience and therefore was of much greater value to Sri Lanka throughout his career than Afridi has ever given to Pakistan.